In Time
by Spnchick09
Summary: He left them behind three years ago. But they're truly happy. And it isn't hard to notice. AU fic. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural, nor do I own anything affiliated with it. (Unfortunately. Seeing Jensen Ackles under my Christmas tree would be a _great _Christmas present, but I don't see it happening.)

**Author's Note: **Just a random little idea I got while sitting at home sick. And since I had nothing better to do, I went with it. It has some AU aspects. For example, some of the relationships end up differently then they have on the show. Hopefully, though, you'll be able to follow along. Thanks for reading. (And a review at the end would be nice. They seriously help me in my writing. Constructive criticism is more than appreciated. (Especially since this is my first Supernatural fiction that I'm posting.) :bites nails:

* * *

They're truly happy. 

And it isn't hard to notice.

She's standing at the altar, her hands encompassed by another pair of hands, albeit slightly larger, belonging to a man who's just as ecstatic.

Honestly, you're happy for them. How could you not be? Saying that you were depressed and felt betrayed would just be pointless - because all you truly want is for them to be happy. And if that happiness is found in each other, then why complain?

Sure, it was a bit of a shock. But hell…you're just glad the man finally settled down. You were starting to worry that he'd never be with a girl again after _her._

* * *

"_Mr. Winchester?"_

_Dean stood quickly, watching the doctor's careful expression. "Yes, sir?"_

_The doctor shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. She didn't make it thr…."_

"_Excuse me?" Dean cut in._

"_She lost too much blood. We couldn't stabilize her. I'm terribly sorry."_

_Dean fell back into the chair behind him, one of Sam's arms wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him into his chest. Dean gripped Sam's jacket, feeling the weight of hours of waiting being lifted off his shoulders in the worst possible way. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as his shoulders shook, and all Sam could do was hold onto Dean tighter, feeling helpless as his older brother crumbled in front of him. The doctor stood in front of both of them for a few minutes more, before he cleared his throat and spoke again when Dean's tears had calmed down._

"_Mr. Winchester, I know this is a bad time, but there are some officers here who'd like an explanation for Cassie's death."_

_Dean sat up slowly, his eyes red and glassy. A satanic smirk took hold of his lips, and he answered, "Just tell 'em that some jackass had a few too many and ended up killin' her."_

* * *

But Dean's always been one to surprise you. Even after your father's death, he helped you to move past your own problems, refusing to bother with his first. Sure, you helped him to heal in the same way, but you could always count on Dean to be there, even if he was hurting enough for both of you. 

"I do."

Her words take you out of your thoughts. You watch from your seat in the pew as she says two words that pledge everything she has to him. He grins in response, and you swear that he sniffles a little.

'Course, if you mentioned it to him, he'd completely deny it.

He's somewhat different than you remember. You left about three years ago, so you missed out on some of this. But you know your brother better than anyone, and you know that he's in love with her.

Damn fool.

He'd always said that falling in love was 'too dangerous,' 'not worth it,' and quite often said it was 'stupid.' And now he's become a hypocrite. He's more in love with this girl than his car.

Nah. Maybe not _that _much.

You chuckle slightly as he fumbles over his words, even though all he has to do is repeat what the priest says. You watch in awe as he laughs, making some kind of sarcastic remark; you can't really hear it, but you know it's sarcastic because of the glint in his eyes and the shape of his lips as he says it. You watch as his eyes return to her once more, taking in the beauty that you once had as your own. You see her smile softly, and he just caresses a thumb over her knuckles as he finishes saying what he's been trying to get out for the past two minutes.

Okay, so he's a lot different. His hard exterior has melted away somewhat. You can tell that some of it's still there, however, mainly because of the way he carries himself. He's a lot more carefree, but there's no denying the fact that he simply can't get rid of all of it. He spent years building those walls - tearing them down overnight isn't an option.

But she's helping with that. She's definitely one of the better things that's happened to him in the past few years. And you're happy for her, you really are. How she fell for someone like Dean you'll never know, but that's beside the point.

"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Dean Winchester. You may now kiss the bride."

Dean grins, mutters something along the lines of 'We did it' and kisses her. You know you should feel a little awkward, watching your brother kiss a girl that used to belong to you, but you can't do anything but smile.

They're truly happy.

And it isn't hard to notice.

* * *

"_Hey, Sarah."_

"_Sam!" she squealed, letting the Winchester brothers inside before hugging the taller one. "What're you doing here?"_

"_Taking a break from hunting," Sam replied, grinning._

_Sarah nodded, smiling, looking over to Dean. "Hey, Dean," she greeted, hugging him._

"_Hi, Sarah," he responded, the smile on his face not reaching his eyes. Sarah grinned back, but her eyes held a look of sympathy._

"_You guys want anything to drink?" she asked._

"_Beer," Dean answered quickly. "Any kind."_

_Sam sighed, glancing over at Dean briefly. "Yeah, a couple of beers will work."_

_Sarah smiled briefly, before heading into the kitchen of her small apartment. Sam and Dean took a seat on her couch, listening as she moved a few things around in the refrigerator and pulled out the beers they'd requested. As she walked back in, she noticed a faraway look in Dean's eyes, and sighed quietly to herself._

"_Thanks," Sam offered, accepting his beer. Dean nodded his thanks as well, and took a swig of his beer almost as soon as Sarah had given it to him._

"_Sam, can I talk to you a second?" Sarah asked._

_Sam nodded, giving Dean one last look before heading to the foyer with Sarah._

"_Is he still depressed?" Sarah asked quietly, knowing about Cassie's death._

_Sam nodded. "Yeah, he's still pretty beat up about it. He thinks that it's his fault."_

"_It's not," Sarah cut in. "Right?"_

_Sam sighed. "Of course it's not. Cassie was killed by a drunk driver. Dean couldn't have stopped that."_

_Sarah nodded, taking a sip of her beer._

"_I guess he just hates the fact that he could've protected her from something that's unexplainable, and what ended up killing her was something that wasn't supernatural."_

"_Would y'all get your asses back in here? I know you're talking about me. I ain't stupid," Dean slurred._

_Sam and Sarah exchanged a look before walking back in, seeing that Dean was visibly more relaxed. "Besides, I'd rather you talk about Cassie in front of me than behind my back."_

"_Dean…" Sam started._

"_It's alright, Sammy. I'll be fine. I got one month with her after we killed that yellow-eyed son of a bitch. I'm satisfied. And hey…you've got God knows how long to be with her," he chuckled, gesturing to Sarah. "Take advantage of it."_

* * *

You watch as he dances with her at their reception, both of them giggling like schoolchildren. He tips her back, her brunette curls gliding past her shoulders as she goes backwards, his hand protectively held against the small of her back as he raises her up again. She's laughing, and he's giving her the softest grin that Sam ever thinks he's seen. 

She's definitely done something to him.

_They'd been staying in New York for three months. Sam and Sarah had been dating throughout the course of their stay, and Dean was slowly recovering from Cassie's death. After speaking with Sarah's father, Sam had gone out to buy a ring. He was proposing to Sarah tonight._

And as you watch Sarah dance with your brother, all of the memories come flooding back.

"_Sarah, will you marry me?" he asked, tears in his eyes._

"_Yes."_

You were supposed to be together.

"_Tell you what. I'll go out and buy us some wine for tonight. How's that sound?" Sam asked, grinning._

_Sarah kissed him. "It sounds perfect."_

You _were_ going to be together.

Until fate ripped you apart.

* * *

"_Evening," the store clerk greeted._

_Sam nodded in response, unable to wipe the grin off his face._

_The cashier grinned. "Did you just get laid or something?"_

"_Engaged, actually," Sam replied._

"_Congratulations."_

"_Thanks," Sam answered. "Y'all got any wine?"_

"_Of course we do, Country Boy," the cashier chuckled. "In the back."_

_Sam laughed, muttering a thanks and heading towards the back of the store. Minutes later, he returned with the wine. As he headed towards the counter, he noticed the look in the clerk's eyes._

_A man was standing across from the clerk. With a gun pointed directly at his head._

* * *

Your eyes moisten with the memory. You knew then at that very moment that you wouldn't be making it home to Sarah. That you wouldn't be able to tell Dean that you loved him and that you were sorry he'd have to go on without you. You knew. 

And you were unable to stop it.

* * *

"_Hey!" Sam yelled._

_The robber turned to face him, pointing the gun in Sam's direction. "Got a problem?" he asked._

_Sam's jaw clenched. "I think you're the one with the problem. Just put the gun down, alright?"_

_The robber chuckled. "I don't think so."_

"_Please. Man, you're not going to get anywhere like this. Just put the gun down."_

"_For the last time. No."_

_Sam lost control of his body. Next thing he knew, he was lunging forward at the man, his own gun in hand. But before he could make it there, a shot rang out._

_And with a sickening sting of pain, he realized the gunshot wasn't his own._

* * *

You remember little after that. What you do remember is vague. You watched as the robber was shot by the store clerk, who'd pulled out his own rifle after you had been shot. You groaned as the robber fell to the ground, dead after a bullet to the heart. You clutched onto what little life you had left, praying that you'd live through this. You had too much to live for. 

The forces of nature disagreed with you, however, and you felt yourself slipping away. You think you remember letting out a single tear, but you're not sure.

And in the very next instant, your pain was gone.

_

* * *

He heard the phone ringing, and looked over at the caller ID, smiling when he recognized Sam's number. _

"_Hello?" Dean had answered._

"_She said yes!" Sam yelled emphatically._

_Dean laughed. "Congratulations, man! Did you cry?" he asked, smirking._

"_Bite me," Sam laughed. "I'm on my way to pick up some wine."_

"_Ah, guess that means I'm not invited then, huh?" Dean kidded._

"_Not unless you want to be scarred for life," Sam replied._

* * *

You think back to that phone call and smile. Dean was finally starting to heal over Cassie's death, and it felt good. Just hearing your brother laugh again made you feel whole. 

And then your smile fades.

Because you realize that was the last time you ever talked to him while you were alive.

And the last time he heard your voice before you died.

_

* * *

He was sitting in the living room of the small apartment that he and Sam had rented, watching TV and having a beer. It dawned on him that now Sam would be moving in with Sarah, and he'd be alone. Of course, after Cassie's death, he'd grown used to that feeling. And this was a much better feeling of being alone. _

_Because no one was in pain._

_And his brother was finally happy._

_So if Sam could move on from Jess, he could move on from Cassie, too._

_The sound of someone knocking at his door stirred him from his thoughts, and he stood slowly and went to answer it._

"_Yeah?" he asked, noticing the somber looks on the officers' faces._

"_Mr. Winchester?"_

"_Guilty."_

"_May we come in?" the taller one had asked._

"_I don't have drugs or anything," Dean had kidded, stepping to the side._

_The taller one gave him a sad smile and walked in, sitting on the couch in the living room. His partner followed suit, and Dean sat across from them._

"_Can I help y'all with something?" he asked._

"_Mr. Winchester, you have a brother named Samuel, correct?"_

_"Who, Sammy? Yeah, what about him?"_

_The shorter one sighed. "Mr. Winchester, we're terribly sorry. But Sam Winchester was killed in a liquor store robbery this evening."_

_Dean's breath hitched in his chest as he searched the officers' faces for any sign of this being a joke. He started laughing, but it was a cold, heartless laugh, and he clasped his hands together tightly._

"_No, there's gotta be some kind of a mistake. I mean, Sam got engaged tonight. He isn't dead. He's on his way home to Sarah."_

_The officers gave Dean a look of sympathy._

_"No," Dean whispered, running a hand through his hair. "No, he isn't dead. Sam's fine. He's not dead," he mumbled._

"_Mr. Winchester, we need you to come identify the body. Normally we ask a parent to do this, but we couldn't find a current address on your father's location."_

"_He's not dead! Damn it, he's not dead!" Dean yelled, tears stinging his eyes._

"_Mr. Winchester…"_

"_Get out! Get the hell out of here!" he screamed._

"_Mr. Winchester, you need to come and identify the body."_

"_You're already sure that he's dead! The hell do you need my consent for?" he asked._

"_Mr. Winchester…"_

"_Get. Out."_

* * *

You recall being able to watch Dean hear about your death. You felt distressed and helpless as you watched your brother cope with the fact that his younger brother, his _life, _was gone. 

And even though you've refused to go back to these memories for the three years that you've been gone, you can't help it now. And even though these memories bring back more pain than even a gunshot could've brought you, they're strangely comforting.

Because when you think back to the days after your death, you remember how much pain the two most single important people in your life went through.

But when you look at them now, you can tell they're both happy.

So it's comforting to know that they were able to heal.

And if that comfort is found in each other, then so be it.

_

* * *

The Impala must've driven itself, because he'd managed to make it to Sarah's without so much as a muddy spot on the car. His hands were clutching the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles had long since turned white, and both of his hands had gone numb. _

_He walked slowly up to the door, unsure if Sarah had heard about Sam's death._

_His breathing slowed as he rang the doorbell, trying to stifle the sobs that had threatened to escape him for the past thirty minutes. _

_She opened the door, and with one look, Dean knew that she'd found out._

_Her eyes met his briefly, before she fell into another round of sobs and fell to the ground. Dean picked her up carefully, his jaw quivering as he struggled to keep his own emotions in check. Picking her up proved to be a chore, he found - not because of her size, but because of the fact that his chest hurt so bad he couldn't breathe._

_He was just as broken as she was._

_Probably even worse._

_Her arms curled around his neck as he lifted her up and walked her inside, kicking the door shut behind them. She sobbed loudly, her body shaking in his trembling arms as her tears soaked his neck. _

"_Sarah," he whispered, trying to soothe her. "God, Sarah, I'm so sorry," he mumbled, tears escaping from his eyes._

_He sat on the couch with her, pulling her closer and holding her tightly. She was shaking so violently that Dean felt if he let go, she'd fall to the ground._

"_I can't…" she cried. "I need Sam," she pleaded. "Dean, I need Sam."_

_Dean let out a broken sob. "I need him, too."_

"_God…." she sobbed, the tears coming once again._

"_Shh," Dean whispered, trying to comfort her. "We'll get through this," he whispered, more to himself than to her._

_He wanted to scream. He wanted to yell because he was pissed and hurt and torn apart and it was **killing **him._

_But he couldn't. He had to be strong for Sarah. Even though he felt just as horrible as she did, maybe even worse, he had to protect her._

_Because Sam could no longer do it himself._

* * *

You remember watching as Dean attempted to comfort the woman you were going to marry, and you were in even more pain watching him cry than you were after you'd been shot. 

You begged for just a few moments more with him, just to let him know that you were okay. That he'd be alright as long as he knew you weren't hurting anymore.

And the response you received confused you.

"_In time, my child. In time….."_

_

* * *

There wasn't a cloud in the sky on the day of Sam's funeral. _

_Damn irony._

_Dean was stone silent as Sam's casket was lowered into the grave. He had an arm around Sarah, stroking her arm softly as she sniffled quietly._

_They were the only ones present at his funeral. Dean figured that no one at Stanford really knew Sam anyway, and he'd been too defeated to contact any other hunters. He'd told Ellen, but refused adamantly when she'd offered to help._

_He didn't need anyone._

_Sam wasn't here. And Sam was the only one Dean needed._

* * *

He never even noticed you standing right beside him as your body was lowered into the ground. 

You smirked. Dean refused to burn your bones.

Angry spirit or not, he was hoping to see you again.

"I'll be back sooner or later, Dean," you whispered.

He looked briefly to his side as though he'd heard you, giving a small half smile before looking towards the ground.

He broke your heart even more.

You then walked over to Sarah, stroking her shoulder and telling her how much you loved her.

She simply drew her shawl around her arms tighter, complaining of being cold. And God, you remember feeling even more pain.

She'd always told you that you made her feel safe - that your touch was warm and inviting.

You'd lost your warmth.

_

* * *

He'd taken Sarah home and made sure she was alright. He promised to be back in a few hours, even though he hated leaving her alone. But he knew that he needed some time on his own if he didn't want to break down in front of Sarah. _

_He drove in silence to the cemetery, the usual Metallica silenced for the evening._

_Hell, for the next millennium._

_"Samuel Winchester _

_May 2nd, 1983 - August 23rd, 2014 _

_Beloved Brother, Fiancé _

_We love you, Sammy" _

_Dean sighed, pocketing the keys to the Impala as he sat against Sam's gravestone, his back against the cold rock behind him. He was still in his black suit, not even giving the dirt underneath him a second thought._

_He'd wash it later._

"_Hey, Sammy," he whispered._

_You sat beside him, resting your back against the gravestone. The way you sat mirrored the way Dean was sitting, and you smiled._

"_I realized somethin' today," Dean said, smiling. _

"_What?" you ask._

_You know he can't hear you._

_It doesn't hurt to try, though. Because at least you won't feel like this is a one-way conversation._

_And you knew Dean would kill you if you made him sound like a complete dumb ass during a voluntary chick-flick moment._

"_I realized that two of the most important people in my life were taken by someone human. We fight demons and vampires and all that other shit, but the only people I've ever loved were taken by a damn human that was too twisted in the head to fix himself."_

_You sigh, wishing that you could tell him everything you've wanted to for the past week._

"_What about Dad?" you ask._

"_And Dad…yeah, I miss him like hell. And God knows I loved him. But it's different. It took a while," he says, taking a shaky breath. "But I figured out how to get through that. Because at least we killed the son of a bitch. At least he was killed by somethin' that I can take care of. But this," he chuckles, licking his bottom lip. "I have no idea how to get through this."_

"_You got through Cassie's death," you remind him._

"_Getting through Cassie…that took a while, too. And damn, it hurt like hell."_

_You sit and wait, knowing he isn't finished yet._

"_But she was killed by a drunk driver, Sam. I could've protected her against a wendigo, a vampire….hell, I could've protected her against a damn demon. But I couldn't save her from a drunk driver."_

"_So you feel like you've failed," you whisper._

"_And I feel like I've failed," he confesses._

_You can tell his throat is growing thick, and you'll be damned if you have to watch Dean crumble again. It hurt enough to see it once…seeing it more than five times in the course of a week will kill you all over again._

"_I'm sorry, Sammy."_

"_You say that too much," you tell him._

"_I say that way too damn much," he mutters to himself._

_You laugh._

"_I should've been able to save you," he says quietly._

"_Dean…."_

"_That ain't how it works, I know," he sighs. "But I've always protected you from everything, Sammy," he says, and he sounds so broken that it hurts you so bad you can't breathe. "And the one thing I can't protect you from is a damn human being with a gun."_

_You see a tear falling down his cheek, and you wish you could comfort him. Because you know what's about to happen. He's going to crumble. All over again._

"_Damn it, Sammy," he whispers, tears falling more rapidly now. "I don't know what the hell to do."_

_He stares straight ahead of him, the Impala gleaming in the moonlight. "I've gotta help Sarah. You'd kick my ass if I didn't. But sometimes I just want to scream. Damn it, I wanna scream. And I can't. 'Cause I've gotta be the strong one."_

"_You don't have to be strong all the time," Sam says._

_You don't know if he hears you or not, but something inside him breaks. He sobs loudly, resting his head against the gravestone behind him. He brings his knees up to his chest, resting his elbows on his thighs and covering his face in his hands. He lets everything go, and your breathing hitches in your chest, and before you know it, you're crying right along with him._

_You turn, and see Him beside you. "Please!" you beg. "Let me talk to him. Even if it's just for a few minutes. I need to help him," you plead, cringing as Dean lets out another round of sobs behind you._

"_I can give you time with him, but your time is limited," He tells you._

_You nod._

"_If you spend these few minutes with your brother, the option of seeing Sarah in this way is gone," He explains._

"_I don't care. If Dean can get past this, he'll help Sarah. If he's broken..." you trail off. He knows what you mean anyway._

_He smiles, and in the next few seconds, something feels different. You can feel the wind around your face, and the tears that you've cried actually have trails down your face now._

_You realize that your plea has been answered._

_So when you turn back around and see Dean eyeing you like you're the Grim Reaper, you can't help but smile._

"_Hey, jerk," you greet him._

_He's quiet for a moment, before a smile tugs at one corner of his mouth. "Hey, bitch."_

"_I've only got a minute," you tell him._

_He nods._

"_Damn, your face is wet. It raining or something?" you ask, smirking._

"_Oh, shut the hell up, asshole," Dean replies, his voice without venom. He smirks. "Looks like you're just as desperate. Askin' Him to give you a minute. Big baby."_

_You grin. _

"_So how is it up there? Seen Dad yet?"_

_You chuckle. "I haven't exactly gotten there, yet. I've been here," you explain._

_He nods, understanding. Something in his eyes flickers, and he looks up at you._

"_You said somethin' to me this mornin', didn't you?"_

_You nod. "Yeah. Did you hear me?"_

_He shrugs. "I dunno, man. I've been so messed up in the head since…" he mutters, unable to finish his sentence._

_You let out a breath, watching him regain his composure._

_He clears his throat. "Well, if you've been here, you know how Sarah's doin', don't you?"_

_You swallow hard, nodding. "Yeah, I know. Sometimes I can't watch her because it hurts so bad."_

_He doesn't respond, but watches you curiously._

"_Hell….heck, I can't watch you sometimes," you confess. "You're gonna kill me all over again."_

_Dean's expression changes from a smirk at your correction of words to a look of depression at your last sentence._

"_Sorry," you apologize._

_He gives you that damned half smile of his. "I've gotta get used to it sooner or later."_

"_I was thinking…if you'd died, you think we'd be able to talk because of my ghost whisperer thing?"_

_He laughs. And it feels incredible to hear it._

_You feel your time ending, and sigh. "I've gotta go," you tell him._

_He nods, raising his eyes to yours and smiling. "Thanks."_

_You smile in response, before pulling him into a hug._

"_You're cold," he whispers._

_You smile as you pull back. "Sarah said the same thing this morning."_

"_I'm gonna take care of her," he promises, watching you as you stand up._

"_Good. Oh, and by the way," you start, looking down at him as a brown lock of your hair falls into your eyes, "don't break her heart, okay?" you tell him._

_His brows furrow into confusion. "The hell you talking about?"_

_You just smile. "Goodbye, Dean."_

_He'll find out in time._

* * *

Now, three years later, he's married her. 

You grin, watching as they drive off in the Impala, 'Just Married' written against the back windshield. The guests start leaving, but you stay a while longer, watching as the Impala fades in the distance.

You get a vision, but these aren't painful. The visions you get now are simply insights into the future, and they leave you feeling happy and excited for what's to come.

You see Dean and Sarah in the back seat of the Impala. You watch as a baby boy, wrapped in Dean's leather jacket, is handed to Sarah. Her brow is sweaty, her hair's matted to her forehead, but she looks beautiful. And Dean eases up beside her as he looks down at the baby in her arms like he's the luckiest guy in the world.

They name him Samuel Isaiah Winchester.

As the vision subsides, you find yourself laughing.

Dean was never on time to anything. It's no surprise that he couldn't get Sarah to the hospital on time to have their child.

Right at that moment, everything makes sense.

Dean's happy.

And Sarah's happy.

And the happiness that they both have has been found in each other.

So it doesn't hurt you like it should.

They'll truly be happy.

And it isn't hard to notice.


End file.
